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Three presidents and fifteen years into the long war the George W. Bush promised, the prison at Guantánamo Bay symbolizes both America's abrogation of international conventions on the treatment of prisoners, and the failure to end the global paranoia, arms races, and proxy turf battles of the Cold War era.

Any hope for the alluded "peace dividend" following the collapse of the Soviet Union is long forgotten. In fact, the world is poised again above the abyss as accusation and sabre-rattling replaces diplomatic discourse between remnant Russia and the financially fragile United States.

And, into this china shop blusters Donald Trump, who says he would like keep Guantánamo open, and "load it up with bad dudes" among other things.

Andy Worthington is freelance investigative journalist, activist, author, photographer, film-maker, and singer-songwriter who has made an annual pilgrimage to America from his native Britain to lobby for the infamous prison's closure, and he was there again last month in the run up to the Trump inauguration.

Andy's book titles include: 'Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America’s Illegal Prison, 'Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion', and 'The Battle of the Beanfield.' He also co-directed (with Polly Nash) the documentary film, 'Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo.'

Andy Worthington in the first half.

And; there's no bigger china shop in the world than China, and bull moose Donald has done little to disguise the cross-hairs his administration has drawn on the global economic superpower's business.

For the last half of his tenure, Obama tried repeatedly to orchestrate his so-called "Asia pivot," an effort to move America's foreign policy focus back to the Pacific where it's uncontested half-century of dominance has come under challenge. What will a Trump administration do to make America's hegemony in Asia great again; and how will China receive its efforts?

Peter Lee is a freelance journalist writing on East and South Asian affairs as they intersect with US global policy. He's the driving force behind the Asian affairs website China Matters, providing critical updates on China and Asia-Pacific, and his articles also appear at Asia Times, and at CounterPunch.org, among other internet news sites. News sites like Newsbud.com who just last month launched Peter's weekly report, China Watch.

Peter Lee and a not so Happy Chinese New Year for America's Year of the Bull in the second half.

And Christina Nikolic will be here at the bottom of the hour to, in association with Victoria Street Newz publisher emeritus, Janine Bandcroft, bring us news of good things planned for the coming week in and around our town and beyond. But first, Andy Worthington, an Englishman in New America.